Father John Kuchinski

Parochial Vicar

First and foremost, thank you so much for your very warm welcome to the Parish! I am very excited to be here with you in Gettysburg, and I am looking forward to the next few years. I was ordained a priest just a few short months ago, on June 4th, 2016, and I served as Parochial Vicar at Seven Sorrows of the Blessed Virgin Mary Parish in Middletown, PA until my assignment to St. Francis Xavier. The past months have been a tremendous blessing, and I ask for your prayers and patience as I continue to grow into my vocation as a priest.

Having grown up in Lancaster, PA, I think I can say that Gettysburg is not totally unfamiliar to me. I have many happy memories of trips made to the battlefield. I am an alumnus of Lancaster Catholic High School, and it was there that I first began to consider my vocation. I was blessed with a very supportive and faithful family (in fact, my father is now a candidate for the diaconate within our diocese), and I was able to enter the seminary after I graduated from high school.

I spent four years at St. Charles Borromeo Seminary in Philadelphia, after which Bishop McFadden invited me to complete my theological studies as the Pontifical North American College in Rome.

I am tremendously grateful that I had the opportunity to study in Rome for those four years, but I am excited to be "finished" with my studies and to be assigned so close to home.

Once again, I would like to thank you for your kindness these past few weeks. I look forward to meeting everyone, but please remind me of your name whenever we meet!